NEW YORK STATE BOYS TRACK & FIELD: TIOGA'S ALBRECHT WINS PROGRAM'S FIRST STATE TITLE WITH SCHOOL-RECORD VAULT (10 PHOTOS) (2025-06-13)
By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports ReportMIDDLETOWN, N.Y. — Tioga junior Gavin Albrecht had one goal this year after a disappointing performance at States last year, and that was a state title. On Friday, Albrecht's goal became a reality at the New York State Class C Boys Track & Field Championships.
"It's amazing. All the years of jumping and working in the offseason paid off," said Albrecht of his state gold medal.
"My goal was to win a state title," said Albrecht. "I've been watching everyone in Class C for the last month to see where I would fit in, and I knew I had a really good chance going into it today."
"Gavin has been working really hard this year and has been really putting things together nicely these last few weeks," said Tioga coach Eric Gutierrez.
"Pole vaulting is a passion of his and it shows," he noted. "He had a few monster jumps over a couple of heights (today) at the competition and it shows — he has even more he can climb, even now."
Albrecht cleared the bar at a new school-record height of 15-feet. He edged Randolph's Caden Inkley, who also cleared 15-feet, via fewer missed.
Albrecht, who had two misses, cleared 15-feet on his first vault, while Inkley, who had one miss, toppled the bar twice before clearing 15-feet.
Last year, Albrecht was the seventh seed last year at 13-feet, 9-inches, but struggled, clearing 13-feet for a 29th-place finish.
Albrecht used last year's performance as motivation.
"It was a big driving factor," he said. "I knew I didn't perform to the best of my ability last year at States.
"I came in this year with a chip on my shoulder, knowing I could very well win the Class C Championship.
"I had my sights set on that all season," Albrecht added.
Albrecht, who won a Section IV gold with a vault of 14-feet, 9-inches, entered the competition Friday at 13-feet, 6-inches, and missed on his first attempt.
"I was thinking I needed to do better next time because I wasn't going home with a no-height," said Albrecht.
After clearing 14-feet on his first attempt, his only other miss (until 15-feet, 3-inches) came at 14-feet, 6-inches.
Albrecht entered the season with a personal-best vault of 13-feet, 9-inches, and ended up at 15-feet, breaking Gage Lubertowicz's school record of 14-feet, 6-inches along the way.
How does Albrecht explain a 15-inch improvement in 2025.
"There's been a lot of behind-the-scenes work," he said.
"I worked with G (coach Eric Gutierrez) over the winter, and I go to Lansing twice a week during the summer, and to Ithaca College once a week in the summer and twice a week in the winter.
"There's a lot of work that goes into it, and it's paying off," Albrecht noted.
Tioga coach Eric Gutierrez believes Albrecht is the first Tioga track & field athlete to win a state title.
"It's amazing," said Albrecht. "I told coach (Gutierrez) I wasn't leaving (Tioga) without leaving behind a state championship.
"I'd like to add another next year, too, but I can't look too far ahead," he added. "I'm just going to work hard the rest of the year to get better for next year."
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PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
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